The present invention relates to a surgical drape with a fluid collection system for channeling and collecting fluids emanating from the surgical site during an operation.
Numerous operating procedures result in the production of rather large quantities of fluids which are removed from the operating site to facilitate the procedure. The two primary sources of such fluids are the body itself, including blood and other body fluids, and irrigation liquids used to flush the operating site.
Removal of the fluids can be accomplished in a number of ways. One of the oldest methods of controlling fluids is to use absorptive devices such as towels, sponges and pads which have been sterilized to lessen the risk of infection. These absorptive devices are commonly placed around the site of the incision, a technique called "squaring off". Inside the body cavity, additional sponges, etc., may be actually packed within the cavity to absorb liquids and protect organs. Whereas in the past such absorptive devices were reusable items, today they are almost all single use disposable items in an attempt to reduce handling and the risk of infection.
As part of good sterile technique, it is common practice to keep the patient, the operating personnel and the room as clean, dry and bacteria free as possible. This is especially crucial in the control of infectious disease containing fluids such as blood. Should fluids from the operation collect on the floor there is also an increased risk of personnel slipping and falling or suffering from electrical shock. Furthermore, overflows and spills of body fluids result in more time needed for clean-up which decreases the effective utilization of the operating room. As a result, there is a recognized need for a surgical drape which permits the effective channeling and collection of fluids created and/or released during a surgical procedure.
One solution to this problem has been to use suction devices to remove excess fluids from the operating site. Suction may be used alone or in combination with absorptive devices. However, suction is typically used to remove fluids within the body cavity and thus will do little to aid fluid control outside the body cavity.
In certain surgical techniques, particularly those involving the perineal area or the cranium, large amounts of fluid are either released or used due to irrigation. In such cases, absorptive devices and/or suction devices are oftentimes insufficient or impractical for removal of fluids from the operation site. As a result, modifications have been made to the surgical drape itself to help direct and/or collect the fluids. Such modifications have been accomplished by creating folds and tucks in the drapes to form pockets for collecting fluids or by attaching separate pieces of material to the exterior surface of the drape to form pockets for trapping or collecting fluids. Examples of such techniques can be found in Collins U.S. Pat. No. 3,791,382. Unfortunately, such techniques often require excessive use of drape material, treatment of the drape material to make it fluid impervious and/or the use of additional layers of fluid impervious material to create the pockets.
An alternate solution has been to attach pouches to the drape to collect the fluids resulting from the operation. See for example the patent to Blanford (U.S. Pat. No. 3,452,750) wherein a pouch is used in conjunction with a vaginal bib to collect and measure fluids.
In surgical procedures which produce large quantities of fluids, larger bags or pouches oftentimes are used with additional material around the fenestration to aid in the control and direction of fluids into the bag. Examples of such embodiments include Morris (U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,472), Vinson (U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,937) and McAllester (U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,458). Morris uses a liquid impervious bag which is secured to the front surface of the drape. Two separate strips of material are then attached to the front surface of the drape, one on either side of the fenestration such that they have flap portions which are free of attachment from the drape. The respective bottom ends of the strips are then bent over upon themselves at an angle to form bent-over bottom ends which are tucked inside the open end of the bag and adhesively attached to the inside of the bag. During use of the drape, these flaps may be raised upwardly to a position which is at an angle to the upper surface of the main sheet. Vinson also uses a bag which is attached to the upper surface of the drape. In order to assist fluid run-off from the surgical site into the fluid collection bag, fluid control rails are located alongside but spaced from the fenestration and extend to the opening in the bag. When the bag and drape are in their normal operational position, fluid is blocked from flowing past the rails and is deflected and channeled into the fluid collection bag. In a preferred construction, the rails are constructed from lengths of flexible tubing encased in flexible sheet material with the sheet material being attached to the upper surface of drape. McAllester is another drape which uses a collection bag and the same rails disclosed in the Vinson reference.
A drawback with the above references is their inability to control heavy fluid flows and splashing due to their low height and/or lack of structural rigidity around the fenestration site. Another disadvantage is the cost and time involved in constructing multiple-piece drapes from various components. Such surgical drapes are one use items and as a result, cost is a critical factor. With such designs there is also an increased risk of leakage due to the number of contact and connection points which must be made in forming the drape and maintained during the use of the drape. Such drapes are subject to folding, unfolding and fair amounts of manipulation during their use, not to mention the stresses involved in retaining the collected fluids.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a surgical drape which employs a fluid collection system with good integrity, and improved control, direction and retention of fluids produced during a surgical procedure.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent upon a further review of the following specification, drawings and claims.